Shop boss Carol Bairstow says Ramsey is ’on the up’ and she is proud to work in and help the economy of the town.

Mrs Bairstow, 57, believes the town has a lot more to offer shoppers than it used to.

’And the great thing is that so many of the shops are independents with such a great range,’ she said.

The mother of two grown up children runs a gift shop called Pure Inspiration in Parliament Square.

And taking pride of place in the shop window is the impressive and ’very heavy’ trophy she won at the Greats Gift Retailer Awards 2019.

She picked up the award at Grosvenor House, London, for best in store and window displays.

Mrs Bairstow, who travelled to the UK capital with her husband Doug, said the awards were important.

’There were some of the big names from the High Street there so this was quite a big deal.’ Mrs Bairstow’s winning shop window was one she designed last year to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

She decorated the window with lots of war memorabilia and the impact was heightened when a visitor from the UK parked his jeep outside.

Mrs Bairstow even dressed up as a land girl to mark the occasion. She took over the shop around nine years ago and said customers have described it as the ’go-to gift shop’.

She said: ’I have many loyal customers and we sell goods ranging in price from under a fiver to over £100. Everything from candles, jewellery and greeting cards to cushions, scarves, wraps and socks.’

Manx-born Mrs Bairstow said she loves her work and is full of praise for the community in the island.

She spoke to Business News as Parliament Square was filling up with visiting bikers here for the TT and said the town was buzzing.

She has won approving comments from many of her customers on the shop’s Facebook page.